A 1997 Austrian film directed by
Michael Haneke, later re-made shot for shot by the same director in an effort to expand to an
American audience.
The movie is really disturbing, and it'll make an effort to get inside your mind and play with your expectations. The movie follows a family of 3 on vacation in their summer home. Two
boys (whose identities are intentionally altered throughout the film) torture them for their own amusement. It's a
cut-and-paste concept, but what makes it stand out is its unique approach, as it is directly toying with the audience'
s expectations, and watching this family suffer was really one of the most disturbing movie experiences I've had in a while.
There's very little music in the movie. The soundtrack involves only a few opera songs, and a grindcore song called Bonehead by Naked City. While I dislike grindcore, the song is used very well in the movie.
Elitists will tell you that the
American version is terrible, and there was no point in remaking it. I personally don't like shot-for-shot remakes, but unlike remakes like Psycho, which are made purely to make
money off of the name, Haneke remade Funny Games in America because he saw it as more of an
American story. I like the two guys who played Peter and Paul in the
American version better, although Naomi Watts is actually a bit irritating to me. Check out both versions, and form your own opinions.
Funny games- you either love it or you hate it. Some
people might not even be able to make it through the movie.
Paul: "So, what do you want to do? You want to call someone? An ambulance, or the police? I won'
t stop you. Neither will Tom. Right, Tom?
Well, what are you waiting for?"
